Whitman’s Seeing The Work Pay Off on the Trails [VIDEO]

The high school Nordic skiing season is hitting its stretch run, and Laramie High School could possibly have another state champion in line.

Laramie junior Abigail Whitman has enjoyed a standout season on the skiing trails and looks to keep in going. In every competition in the state that Whitman has been part of, she’s finished first or second.

Head coach Rebecca Watson attributes Whitman’s success to her willingness to get out every day and train.

“Putting in a little extra time in the mornings, and in the off-season, too, just with cross country running, and running over the summer and track in the spring, she really is a year-round athlete, and that really shows up in her skiing.”

Whitman spoke with KOWB’s David Settle about the Laramie girls’ team, her training, her success this season, and more.

Whitman and the rest of the Laramie team head to the Jackson Invitational and the Trail Creek Nordic Center for two days of racing. It’s a 7.5K freestyle race Friday at 1 p.m., followed by a 5K classic race Saturday at 10 a.m.

At this point of the season, Coach Watson believes the two squads are in good shape.

“I think that right now we’re in the depth of our intensity block, both with training and with racing. I’m starting to see the kids starting to sharpen up, starting to get a better tempo, some very good technique, it’s looking a little snappier, which is exactly where we want to be going into the last three races of the season.”

She’s optimistic about the rest of the season and feels both teams could make a push for the top two or three.

A major benefit according to Watson is how much time they’ve been able to train on snow this year.

“It really makes all the difference, that ski experience, that number of hours on skis, you just start to see the balance come together. You just start to see the confidence in their skiing. That only happens from just hours of skiing.”

After this weekend, it’s off to Casper next week before the state championships outside Lander Feb. 22 and 23, 2019.

In other Laramie High School action this weekend, wrestling hosts the Gillette Camels Friday for their senior day with the JV is at 4 p.m. followed by the varsity of 5 p.m. The Plainsmen then head to Rock Springs for three duals Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. against Rock Springs, Green River, and Evanston.

Indoor track will be headed back to Gillette Saturday for the Basin Nation Indoor meet at 10:30 a.m.

Finally, the LHS Alpine Skiing team will be in Pinedale Friday and Saturday for two days of giant slalom racing at the White Pines Ski Area.